Tag: God

The Roaring Lion

The Roaring Lion

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 2 Comments

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8

 

Spiritual attacks are the worst! Here you are, minding your business, when suddenly, you’re thrown into an unexpected battle. Immediately, you feel unsteady. Before you can regain your footing, the devil jumps in your face, reeling off a list of your most terrible qualities, your unworthiness to receive all that God has promised to you, and your human inability to actually be successful in your journey of abiding. You attempt to fight back, reciting your scriptures, praying about it, or sometimes ignoring him all at once. While you make some headway, you admit to yourself that you’re already a little bruised. Your feelings got hurt, your confidence took a punch, and you’re looking at God like what did I do to deserve this?

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19

I was in the middle of this just last weekend. The battle left me feeling  upset, frustrated, sad, and mentally exhausted. Despite those feelings, an overpowering need to rest prevailed. God told me, clear as day, that I needed to chill out. I needed to sit down. I needed to stop talking back to the devil. Specifically, He told me to use my energy to give Him praise. He reminded me to say thank you. He urged me to think on thoughts that were true.

His love for me.
His patience with me.
His grace towards me.
The peace He had given to me.

I was reminded, as I shifted focus, that I didn’t have to go back and forth with the devil. The devil wasn’t worth my time. The devil was already under my feet. Furthermore, no matter what the devil tried to say about me, to hurt me or put me down, God already told me that I was His. I was His child. I was His baby. The devil could read me for filth and STILL, God loved me. “Relax.” He said. “You’ve already won.”

“It’s about progression, not perfection.” – Pastor Michael Todd

In moments like this, when you’re under attack, no matter the circumstance, it’s important to take a step back and observe. What’s really going on? Is the attack rooted in God’s truth or in the devil’s condemnation? You’ll find, oftentimes, that if all you’re hearing is how horrible, how unqualified, or how insignificant you are, that’s not God. That’s not God’s truth for you. Do you still need correction and discipline, humbling and guidance? Surely! God won’t give that to you by beating you up, however. Abiding is about the journey, it’s about the slow but steady change towards being all God purposed and planned for you to be. If you feel anything else, immediately step away and understand what exactly is going on. Lean into God. Don’t overact and throw yourself a pity party. Remember the promises He made to you. Know that the devil is mad that you’re moving forward in God’s plan and He’s desperately trying every trick in the book to keep you down and defeated. He’s hoping to make you forget who you are and Whose you are. Laugh in his face and keep on walking. The devil can’t kill you when you know your power.

You’ve already won, twenty somethings.

Meditate on this:

“The lion may roar but I see his leash, so I keep moving forward!” – Pastor Steven Furtick

 

Abide

Abide

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 6 Comments

No other passage has stuck out to me more, this past week, than John 15: 1 -17. At its core, John 15 highlights the importance of being in step with God, instead of  moving in our own time and own way. Jesus tells us that in order to bear fruit, we must abide in Him. If we are apart from Him, attempting to do life by ourselves, we might as well throw in the towel. There’s no hope! If we’re being honest, the message sounds a little harsh. It appears as though Jesus isn’t merciful and patient towards us. He, in fact, compares us to a branch burned in the fire, deemed useless (verse 6), if we operate in our own knowledge and strength. Doesn’t He understand that we are only human? We can’t always get it right. That truth about our humanity, however, is exactly what makes this passage beautiful.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (Verse 8)

Jesus understands our humanity. He was flesh himself. This is exactly why He’s stressing the point of abiding. It isn’t that He is intolerant to our stubbornness and pride (the way His grace and mercy are set up!), but He knows what His father’s business is. He knows what His father purposed for us. Why waste time wandering through life when you can be a full fledged disciple? Why waste time flexing your flawed pride when you can walk in the power and glory of God? Why waste time trying to make things happen for yourself, by yourself, when you can ask for anything in His name and it will be done for you (verse 7)? This passage, then, is not meant to condemn you, but to empower you.

Jesus’ message on abiding is a call to stop playing games. We can only rule our own lives for so long before we crash. It serves us no benefit. In fact, it does nothing more than push us backwards, delaying the maturation of our fruit. We all want joy, peace, favor, and guidance. We all seek blessings, influence, and His endorsement. That’s exactly what our fruit is. That is what it should be. That’s what He is trying to produce in us.

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (verses 10 & 11).

Abiding isn’t easy, especially when you don’t want to let up on the reins of your life. The silver lining is that God is patient, kind, and loving. If He wasn’t, He would not have given us this warning. He wants us to be His disciples, growing, getting pruned, and growing some more. It’s hard work. It’s sacrifice. It’s  admitting your own defeat. It’s  dying to self. It’s  realizing that all the effort you put in, on your own, didn’t hold a candle up to what God could do. It’s release. It’s surrender. It’s  peace. It’s His love.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (verse 16)

Stop fighting Him. Surrender and let Him begin the pruning process in your life. Release your control and watch Him perform miracles that you could not have imagined. It starts with realizing that you can’t do it alone. It starts with realizing that you, indeed, are not God. It starts with understanding that God’s desire to have His hand over your life is not to control you and mess up your plans, but instead to transform your life, open your eyes to greater, and to have you become the disciple He destined for you to be.

 

Start abiding, twentysomethings!

Are You Willing?

Are You Willing?

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 1 Comment

As I reflect over this year, one word that best encapsulates 2017 is stretch. As I’ve mentioned, countless times in this blog, this was definitely a season of pruning and self evaluation. I became more aware of my flaws, my fears, and my ego. More importantly however, I discovered the ultimate drive I had to find God’s best for me. God challenged me to stretch in order to find Him, to believe Him, to obey Him, and ultimately, to love Him. When I think about stretching, the word will automatically follows. There was definitely a battle between God’s will and my will this year. The test of 2017 was finding out whose will would come out on top.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

It amazes me, looking back, how this one scripture caused so much struggle for me. This scripture plainly highlights God’s love for us. God doesn’t beat around the bush in declaring that He wants the best for His children. He tells us that He will see us through life so that His promises will be proven true. Despite God’s bluntness, we (or just me lol) second guess Him. We are waiting for the trick, the gag, and the weariness hidden within the promise. We can’t take Him at His word because we are too busy looking for the “what if”. Though God never said everything would be easy and worry free, He did say we’d be prosperous and have peace. If we could just push our doubt and control issues out of the way, we could see the fullness of God’s work.

Think about when we try to prove that we’re smarter than our parents. Often, it doesn’t take very long before we hear that “I told you so” from them. Our relationship with God often follows that same model. Our parents tell us things because they’ve lived it already and don’t  want us to make the same mistakes. Similarly, God tells us to stay in line with Him because He is the beginning and the end. God knows it all, has seen it all, and isn’t surprised by anything. Standing on THAT means regardless of whether things are difficult or aren’t enjoyable, if God led us there, we’ll make it through just fine. (Deuteronomy 31:8). The question, therefore, isn’t whether or not God and His word are reliable, but rather if we are willing to put His word before our own logic?

As this new year inches closer, I challenge you to take concrete steps to trust God and His promises for You. If you’re led to do something, especially something difficult, push through and tackle it. There’s healing, blessing, and increased favor through the process and evermore. When your will wants to take charge and find reasons why you can’t do something, put your own will in check. Tell your will about what God said and what He promised to do for and through you. Actively choose God’s will everyday and watch how you continue to blossom into the fullness of who you really are. Remember that God’s foundation is solid and it can be trusted, no matter what. Are you willing to let Him work in His time and His way to see the fullness of His promises? Even if it’s hard? Even if it’s annoying? Even if it messes up your plans and timetable? I hope you’ll be willing to say yes!

New Year, New You, twenty somethings 💜

Nevertheless

Nevertheless

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 2 Comments

Nevertheless: in spite of that; all the same; notwithstanding (Oxford Dictionary)

 

As we began to push out from the gate, in route to see family for Thanksgiving, the pilot informed us that we were going to be delayed due to weather conditions. Instead of  letting us wait inside the airport, we had to sit on the airplane, for an hour, before being cleared to fly. As expected, many passengers became irritated as they complained about the inconvenience.  Just as the pilot promised however, after the hour passed, we began the preparation to take off once again. This time successful, a beautiful scene of mountains and bright sunshine welcomed us as we flew upwards towards the sky. Though the start of the journey was frustrating, we made it to our destination, nevertheless.

Reflecting on the situation, as I looked out of the window at the clouds above and the mountains below, I couldn’t help but smile. God wasted no time in providing another lesson on the power of nevertheless. This power, often easily accessible in certain areas of our lives (where we’ve got the most control over situations), is usually extremely  difficult to grasp in other areas (where we feel uncentered and uncertain). For me, I struggled and still struggle with it as it relates to my spirituality and relationship with God. If you think that that may sound like you, I encourage you to keep reading.

As has been well documented in this blog, I’ve been in a constant state of pruning for months now. Recently, I have felt led to let go of things that have meant a lot to me, have (at least in my opinion) shaped me, have comforted me, and have been synonymous with who I define myself as. When I felt led, I immediately wanted to resist. Who wants to let go of the things they love the most? None of us, obviously!  But God kept pushing me, kept talking to me, and kept encouraging me to try it out. I sighed, realizing that He wasn’t going to back down. If I said I wanted to honor Him and love Him, even a pinch of how He loves and takes care of me, I could at least get serious and take a chance on Him with this new assignment.

So I started all at once. I gave up the music I loved listening to, removed the social media I mindlessly checked,  I began to go to Him as my first resource for all matters, and started becoming more diligent and intentional in my prayer and devotional time. Almost instantly, I felt uncomfortable and annoyed. I began to cry out in distress: “Do I really have to do ALL OF THIS?!” “So what am I supposed to do with myself now?” “How long are we going to keep this on for, Lord?” Basically, it wasn’t your girl’s finest moment. As the days went by however, I started to adapt. I began to find myself actually enjoying this new level of relationship with God. I stopped whining and focused in on this new journey. I began to feel a closer connection to God as the things that so easily distracted me and honestly, took God’s place, weren’t readily accessible to me anymore. I thought I was good. I thought I could do it. I had in the bag…until I didn’t.

It’s always in the moments when you let your guard down, like when everybody’s seatbelt is fastened and we’re ready to takeoff, that you get knocked back down and your feelings get hurt. I was on fire for about a week, then suddenly I wasn’t. I became restless once again. “What’s one song?!” “How LONG Lord?!” “I’m going to get my stuff back, right?” Instead of getting me back in line on His own, God left it up to me to decide. “Is that one song more important than Me?” “Didn’t I promise you that I would be with you until the very end?” “Don’t you believe that I know you and know what you need?” “Do you want to keep playing the same games or do you want to get serious about My will for your life?” God countered. I sighed then smiled in response. He was looking out for me (like always). He wanted me to put away the distractions so that I could see His truth. His ultimate goal was to get me prepared and focused to do all that He put me on this earth to do. Who was I to fight back against what He was doing to prosper me? It was then that the power of nevertheless took its form for real.

⁃ I’m tired Lord but nevertheless will I follow Your commands. (Psalm 119:112)
⁃ I feel like I’m missing out Lord but nevertheless will I trust that You have prepared the proper time for me to do everything assigned to me. (Ecclesiastes 8:6)
⁃ It hurts Lord but nevertheless will I believe that You take on every burden. (Matthew 11:28-30)

I urge you to operate in your own nevertheless power. It’s not fun AT ALL (heads up lol). However, knowing that You are in His will and that His plans are beyond what you can currently fathom is truly worth it. You won’t be alone either as you have a fellow friend (me!) who struggles through it to. Always remember, where God is leading us will be much better than the places and plans we’ve laid out for ourselves.

His will, His way, and His time, twentysomethings!

Great Is Your Mercy, Great Is Your Grace

Great Is Your Mercy, Great Is Your Grace

by Nikki Rich Writes ♥ 1 Comment

I recently received the biggest and most important revelation of my life thus far: God loves me. I know that this revelation, at first read, may seem dull, but please hear me out. While it IS basic, it’s also something many of us don’t fully take in and accept. It’s the foundation that everyone of us should stand on. I realized that before now, I wasn’t standing on it at all. I was, at best, using it as a churchy thing to say. It wasn’t that I didn’t know God loved me, it was that I didn’t believe it. It’s only in this past week that God really brought it to the forefront and made me examine myself and Him. It is only now that I’m seeing that revelation as something more than just knowledge, but as power.

Let’s take it back to our favorite twenty-something topic: adulting. In the fullness of our adulting experiences, we are all extremely stretched. We have classes to pass and we have bills to pay. We have bosses to impress and we have children to keep alive. Simply, adulting is stressful. It seems to be full of work with minimal play. We are constantly performing and constantly working towards perfection. As adults, we are marked, many times, by our ability to excel, to get it all right. If we possibly fall short, in any area, we risk eviction, getting fired, even losing the beauty of our Instagram highlight reel (that’s another topic for another day lol). The point I’m trying to make is that we are conditioned to perform. Very rarely are we graced to stumble, let alone fall. For me, that mentality was applied not only to adulting but to God. I was a class act performer. I went to church. I read my scriptures. I encouraged others. I prayed to be used by Him. While all these things were done with sincerity and good intention, I wasn’t doing it out of pure love. My desire was to get the gold star. I wanted to win the Oscar, I wanted His approval.

This realization was the latest lesson of my pruning process. I pretty much got slapped in the face when God let me know that I was doing everything under the sun except seeing Him. He told me, simply, that He wasn’t like the people on this earth. I didn’t have to impress Him. I didn’t have to perform. He already knew me. He already loved me unconditionally. Even at my worst, He wanted me.
As a performer, this sounded good but was quite the challenge to accept ( it’s still a challenge at times, honestly). It sounds awesome for God to love me just as I am, to purpose me for greater, and to have nothing separate me from His love. I couldn’t understand how exactly that worked in real life though. I wanted to perform, badly. I had many questions such as: “How can I show you that I love you? What fast do I need to do? What scriptures do I need to read to prove that I’m serious about You?” My questions were met with silence, unsurprisingly. To be honest, even now it strikes a nerve. I don’t like not knowing. I don’t like not having an action plan.

Funny enough, He wants me (and all of us) to get to that point. He wants me not knowing what to do or how to act, in my own strength. Being in that state leaves us dependent, seeking Him out for everything. Experience has shown me, time and time again, that when I depend on my performance, my will, and my logic, I fall short every time. While that may work beautifully in the “real world”, God has no time for my games. As well intentioned as my performance was, it wasn’t His way. I needed to surrender to Him. I needed to listen and to obey, pushing my own feelings aside. I couldn’t play church or just say the right kind of prayer hoping all would be okay. I had to drop it all, get real, and let Him in everywhere and in everything.

I’m not writing this as someone who has now figured it out. I am writing as someone still perched in the process. I’m still confused at times and still fighting my flesh all the time. I have not been given all the answers during this process. In fact, this is a step by step, day by day sort of situation. But step by step, God is revealing. He is assuring me that He loves me, right here. He is sending me scriptures that show me how he views me, how he uses people like me. He is putting revelation in my heart about His purpose for me. He is letting me know that with Him, I’m unstoppable. Having to now walk this out, I find myself completely shook. I’m constantly wondering why He loves me so much, to the point that He’s willing to take it back to this basic but fundamental promise. The answer, I’m getting time and time again is because, simply, I’m His child and we have destiny to do. The same is true for you.

I just encourage you to relax. We have so many demands and opportunities to perform both in the natural and the spiritual. I pray that you wait to see what God says and where He tells you to go. Our own will is fruitless, but His will leads to abundance, opportunity, healing, and freedom. Sit in the revelation that He loves you. Not only does He love you, but He wants the best for you. Because you’re His child, He will hold you up, keep you from falling, and remind you of all His promises for your life. Grace and mercy follow us because He loves us.

Surrender your thoughts, your plans, and your desire to perform. Let Him complete His perfect work in you. You will not fail. You will not fall. His power will be all over you. For when you are weak, then you are strong! (2 Corinthians 12:10)

He loves you, twentysomethings!

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Check out this skit to drive the message home: